The first Czech book on person-centred planning, and the work that inspired it.

Milena Johnová has just published the first Czech-language book on person-centred planning. In this episode, she talksabout why she wrote it, what she learned in the process, and the stories behind the work — including a woman who left an institution and now lives independently with no formal support at all, and the closure of Svojšice, an institution near Prague where over 100 people moved into lives of their own choosing.

The conversation also turns to a harder truth: Prague, one of the wealthiest regions in Europe, still sends people with disabilities to institutions hours away from their families. Johnová explains what's really driving the slow pace of deinstitutionalisation in the Czechia, and why she believes the answer starts with simply listening to people.

In this episode:

00:00 Welcome to Prague

00:43 Why Write the Book

02:54 Roots of Segregation

04:55 Alliances for Inclusion

06:45 Services vs Community

08:38 Barbora’s Journey Home

12:28 Closing Svojšice Institution

16:54 Real Choice in Practice

18:00 Prague Removing Disabled People to Institutions

23:06 Horní Poustevna Legacy

25:04 Building New Institutions

26:37 Changing Minds and Systems

29:37 Podcast Picks and Farewell